{"id":2932425,"date":"2021-06-25T15:21:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T15:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/2932425"},"modified":"2023-07-04T09:10:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T09:10:28","slug":"tidal-wave-of-gratitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/2932425\/","title":{"rendered":"Tidal Wave of Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I recently heard a talk by Rabbi Y<\/span>israel\u00a0<\/span>G<\/span>ottlieb<\/span>\u00a0regarding the significance of the\u00a0 <\/span>two\u00a0 <\/span>inverted\u00a0<\/span>letter\u00a0<\/span><\/span>nuns<\/span><\/span>\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span>bracket two\u00a0<\/span>verses<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>the Torah portion<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>Beha\u2019aloscha<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Based<\/span>\u00a0on a lecture from Rabbi Norman\u00a0<\/span>Lamm<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0pointed out that the\u00a0<\/span>Targum<\/span>\u00a0uses the terminology\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span>Nuno<\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0which means\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>fish<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0in Aramaic. The Midrash says the inverted\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>n<\/span>uns<\/span><\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>are\u00a0 <\/span>a<\/span>llusion<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0to fish.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Fish\u00a0<\/span>must\u00a0<\/span>often\u00a0<\/span>swim against the tide to follow their mission or path. They do not get swept along in the tide of the day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We<\/span>\u00a0must\u00a0<\/span>also\u00a0<\/span>display this trait\u00a0<\/span>and have<\/span>\u00a0the courage and backbone to swim against the stream of prevailing attitudes and speech<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why are the brackets placed specifically in this part of the Torah? Immediately after\u00a0<\/span>this section,\u00a0<\/span>is the\u00a0<\/span>account<\/span>\u00a0of the\u00a0<\/span>nation\u00a0<\/span>complaining needlessly about a lack of meat in the desert. This baseless complaining was extremely repugnant\u00a0<\/span>to Hashem<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We\u00a0<\/span>also<\/span>\u00a0have to be worried about getting caught up in pervasive complaining and negativity. For example, Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Gottlieb<\/span>\u00a0points out that negativity abounds\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0the I<\/span>nternet. The pundits who express<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the most anger and negativity seem to get the most followers.\u00a0<\/span>Evil speech abounds, again these controversial posts tend to get the most get the most notice.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Torah teaches that when everyone around us is complaining, we need to try to turn it around. If we can’t turn it around, at least we need to\u00a0<\/span>resist<\/span>\u00a0it and not get caught up in\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0tidal wave of negativity. Our mission is to see the good in others and in the world around us<\/span>!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rabbi Gottlieb recounted a story about Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of\u00a0<\/span>Berdichev<\/span>, may his merit protect us, amen<\/span>. O<\/span>ne\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>habbat, he saw a Jewish man smoking. He walked up to the man and <\/span>said,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2018P<\/span>erhaps you forgot that today is Shabbat.<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0The man said\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>N<\/span>o,\u00a0<\/span>Re<\/span>bbe, I know today is\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>habbat.<\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe then suggested to the man: \u2018<\/span>Perhaps you forgot that we are not allowed to smoke on\u00a0 <\/span>S<\/span>habbat.<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The man re<\/span>plied: \u2018<\/span>No, I realize that.<\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018<\/span>Perhaps you didn’t realize what you were doing when you lit up the cigarette.<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0The man answered<\/span>: \u2018<\/span>N<\/span>o,\u00a0 <\/span>Rebbe<\/span>, I knew exactly what I was doing<\/span>.<\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Upon hearing this,\u00a0<\/span>Rabbi Levi Yitzhak\u00a0<\/span>lifted his hands up to heaven and said\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>Master of the\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>orld, look at your children! No matter how hard you try<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0you can’t get them to lie!<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rabbi Levi Yitzhak\u00a0<\/span>always saw the good\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0people. He showed us how to swim against the stream of negativity. By emulating him, we can change ourselves\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>slowly, slowly, this will also change the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Even more importantly, one of the most impor<\/span><\/span>tant aspects of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Ahavat<\/span>\u00a0Yisrael<\/span><\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>loving others, is looking for the good\u00a0<\/span><\/span>points in them!\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Rebbe Nachman explains that by finding something that is truly good in someone else can even turn them around to\u00a0<\/span>completely return to Hashem!\u00a0<\/span>And a hidden\u00a0<\/span>tzaddik<\/span>\u00a0recently explained that the most important thing that we need right now in these last moments before the Redemption, when the world is so, so dark \u2013\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is to look for the merits in the people around us, and not harp on their faults and sins.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I am currently reading a wonderful book by Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Zelig Pliskin entitled\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Thank You<\/span><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0It has 76\u00a0 <\/span>short\u00a0 <\/span>chapters each giving a different piece of advice and how to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>t the end\u00a0 of\u00a0<\/span>most chapters<\/span>\u00a0is a short\u00a0<\/span>vignette<\/span>\u00a0illustrating the principle.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In one of the early chapters\u00a0<\/span>Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Pliskin<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>explains that<\/span>\u00a0you notice what you\u00a0<\/span>want to<\/span>\u00a0look for.\u00a0 <\/span>When\u00a0 <\/span>you<\/span>\u00a0 make it\u00a0<\/span>a priority<\/span>\u00a0to build up the attitude of\u00a0<\/span>gratitude,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>you<\/span>‘ll notice more things for\u00a0<\/span>which<\/span>\u00a0to be grateful. When you make it your business to become a more grateful person, your entire world will be filled with more gratitude<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In his book\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Gateway to Happiness<\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Pliskin<\/span>\u00a0writes that Rabbi Moshe\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>osenstein related that\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>abbi\u00a0<\/span>Yisrael\u00a0<\/span>Salanter<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>often expressed his feelings of great joy on the benefit\u00a0<\/span>received\u00a0<\/span>from<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>he shining sun\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0helps mankind in so many ways. Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>osenstein ask<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0why don’t other<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>people also feel the same joy as\u00a0<\/span>R<\/span>abbi\u00a0<\/span>Salanter<\/span>? The main reason is that people feel happ<\/span>y\u00a0<\/span>when they have something others are missing. When everyone else in the world has the same thing, they\u00a0<\/span>don\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0feel they have anything special. Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Salanter<\/span>\u00a0felt great love for other people. Therefore, the fact that others also benefited increased his pleasure. Just as a person feels more pleasure when his children also have pleasure, so too, one who sincerely loves other people feels increased pleasure when others benefit.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rabbi Pliskin<\/span>\u00a0comments that\u00a0<\/span>we can<\/span>\u00a0also derive pleasure fro<\/span>m everything that benefits us: T<\/span>he trees we see, the sidewalks we walk on, the roads we travel, the\u00a0<\/span>streetlights<\/span>\u00a0at night. The fact that everyone\u00a0 else enjoys these benefits can increase our pleasure, rather than decrease it.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Avigdor<\/span>\u00a0Miller wrote that there are four words that summarize Tor<\/span>ah<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>J<\/span>udaism<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>I thank\u00a0<\/span>Y<\/span>ou<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0Hashem.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0He says that when saying thank you we should emphasize the wor<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cY<\/span>ou<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0and realize that we are thanking our\u00a0<\/span>F<\/span>ather and King. It is through\u00a0<\/span>gratitude<\/span>\u00a0that we reveal\u00a0 God’s presence in the world. This this is\u00a0<\/span>a key part of our<\/span>\u00a0mission<\/span>\u00a0–<\/span>\u00a0to reveal God’s kingship and instill\u00a0<\/span>in ourselves and others a sense of\u00a0<\/span>gratitude for all\u00a0<\/span>H<\/span>is beneficence.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The opposite is also true. W<\/span>hen\u00a0<\/span>people<\/span>\u00a0want to look for the\u00a0<\/span>negative,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and are used to seeing the negative side of everything,\u00a0<\/span>they’ll continue to find more and more things to complain about.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I remember seeing a cartoon showing two elephants disembarking from Noah\u2019s Ark. One elephant was frowning and said to the other: \u201cWhat a lousy trip! It rained every day!\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In\u00a0<\/span><\/span>T<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>G<\/span>arden of\u00a0<\/span>G<\/span>ratitude<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, Rabbi\u00a0<\/span>Shalom Arush<\/span>\u00a0says\u00a0<\/span>that complaining\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>a major national character flaw of the Jewish people. This culminated in the sin of the spies\u00a0<\/span>when<\/span>\u00a0the whole nation began to cry for no reason. Hashem said<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>I see\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>you’re crying for nothing<\/span>. N<\/span>ow I’ll give you plenty of reasons to cry.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0The good news is that the positive is 500 times more powerful than the negative<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and that we now know the way to end our exile. As\u00a0<\/span>Rabbi Arush explains in detail<\/span>, the pathway\u00a0<\/span>to redemption\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>paved with<\/span>\u00a0expressions of sincere gratitude<\/span>, especially and including the seemingly bad in life<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My daughter\u00a0<\/span>saw<\/span>\u00a0a bumper sticker with a simple but powerful message:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cG<\/span>et rich quick<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>C<\/span>ount your blessings.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0When you make it a point to count your blessings, Hashem will give you more blessings to count. Even though it takes work and we\u00a0<\/span>must<\/span>\u00a0swim against the tide,\u00a0<\/span>the results are certainly worth it<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently heard a talk by Rabbi Yisrael\u00a0Gottlieb\u00a0regarding the significance of the\u00a0 two\u00a0 inverted\u00a0letter\u00a0nuns\u00a0that\u00a0bracket two\u00a0verses\u00a0in\u00a0the Torah portion\u00a0of\u00a0Beha\u2019aloscha.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Based\u00a0on a lecture from Rabbi Norman\u00a0Lamm,\u00a0he\u00a0pointed out that the\u00a0Targum\u00a0uses the terminology\u00a0\u201cNuno\u201d\u00a0which means\u00a0\u201cfish\u201d\u00a0in Aramaic. The Midrash says the inverted\u00a0 nuns\u00a0 are\u00a0 allusions\u00a0to fish.\u00a0Fish\u00a0must\u00a0often\u00a0swim against the tide to follow their mission or path. They do not get swept along … Continue reading “Tidal Wave of Gratitude”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62109,"featured_media":2932426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[15144],"tags":[63649,84742,75476,24953,52547,72740],"author_post":[15855],"new_serie":[],"class_list":["post-2932425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jewish-outlook","tag-baseless-hatred","tag-baseless-love","tag-gratitude-en","tag-jewish-unity","tag-man-and-fellow-man","tag-thanking-hashem","author_post-dennis-rosen"],"acf":{"intro_text":"

Rather than be swept along in the tide of the day, we need to swim against the stream of pervasive complaining and negativity.<\/p>\n","special_content_in_the_post":"none","meta_title":"Tidal Wave of Gratitude","meta_description":"Rather than be swept along in the tide of the day, we need to swim against the stream of pervasive complaining and negativity.","paragraph_first":"","paragraph_second":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2932425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2932425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2932425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2932426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2932425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2932425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2932425"},{"taxonomy":"author_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author_post?post=2932425"},{"taxonomy":"new_serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_serie?post=2932425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}